Oppression is the act of placing something in the wrong place, deviating from truth toward falsehood, transgressing against rights, committing injustice, and straying from fairness. Oppression is among the despicable traits, and all heavenly religions have prohibited it due to the severe hatred, grudges, and harm it inflicts upon the oppressed. A sound-minded person does not accept oppression nor oppresses others, knowing full well its dire consequences in this world and the hereafter.

The Prohibition of Oppression in the Quran

The Quran contains numerous verses condemning oppression and oppressors, including:

• "Indeed, the curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers." (Quran 11:18)
• "And the wrongdoers will have no supporter." (Quran 22:71)
• "Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people." (Quran 2:258)

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The Greatest Oppression

Amir al-Mu'minin Ali ibn Abi Talib (pbuh) said:
"The worst provision for the hereafter is aggression against the servants of God."

With these concise words, Imam Ali (pbuh) expressed a profound Quranic truth: that every person is a laborer in this world, and the fruits of their labor will manifest in the hereafter. Whatever a person does—good or evil—becomes their provision for the afterlife. The worst thing a person can carry from this transient world into the eternal life is oppression, particularly the oppression of God's servants. This is among the types of oppression that will not be overlooked, as Imam Ali (pbuh) stated:
"Know that oppression is of three kinds: oppression that is not forgiven, oppression that is not left unpunished, and oppression that is forgiven... As for the oppression that is not left unpunished, it is the oppression of people against one another."

When we examine human history, we find no greater oppression than that which befell Imam Hussain (pbuh), his family, and his companions in Karbala on the 10th of Muharram in the year 61 AH. On that day, the most heinous crimes were committed—acts of killing, dismemberment, captivity, and the targeting of women and children, sometimes in ways even more horrific than death itself.

The oppression suffered by Imam Hussain (pbuh) and his family exemplifies the prophetic tradition narrated from his grandfather (peace be upon him and his family):
"Allah the Almighty says: 'My wrath is severe against those who oppress someone who has no helper but Me.'"

In that event, Imam Hussain (pbuh) and his companions stood without support or aid against the overwhelming forces of the oppressors. Imam Hussain (pbuh) expressed this when he called out:
"Is there no helper to come to my aid?"

Causes of Oppression

Oppression has many causes, including:

1. Disbelief (Kufr): Denying and rejecting God's blessings is a major cause of oppression, as emphasized in the Quran:
       "And the disbelievers are the wrongdoers." (Quran 2:254)
2. Following Desires and Assumptions: Oppression stems from the dominance of whims and impulses over oppressors, whether they are rulers or subjects. Allah says:
       "Rather, those who wrong follow their desires without     knowledge." (Quran 30:29)
3. Arrogance and Luxury: Some people are granted     abundant blessings but fail to appreciate them, using them for purposes     contrary to their intended creation. Allah says:
       "No! Indeed, man transgresses when he considers himself self-sufficient." (Quran     96:6-7)

Such individuals, upon feeling power and wealth, exceed their limits, grow arrogant, and harm others, forgetting that they should be part of a unified human family, cooperating in times of ease and hardship.

The Quran provides examples of those who became tyrannical due to blessings, such as Nimrod, who was given kingship but later claimed divinity.

4. Following Lusts: Violating God's     sanctities—whether the rights of the Creator or the rights of creation—is     a grave sin. Allah warns:
       "These are the limits set by Allah, so do not transgress them. And     whoever transgresses the limits of Allah—it is they who are the     wrongdoers." (Quran 2:229)

The Consequences of Oppression in This World

The punishment of oppressors is not limited to the hereafter; they also face consequences in this world, including:

1. Oppression Among People:
   Allah's law dictates that actions return to their doers. Whoever sows good     reaps good, and whoever sows evil reaps evil.
   "And evil plots only engulf their perpetrators." (Quran 35:43) The events of Karbala illustrate this. For instance, when Harith killed the two sons of Muslim ibn Aqil and brought their heads to Ibn Ziyad, Ibn Ziyad questioned him about the killing. Harith recounted that the children raised their hands to the sky and prayed:
   "O Living, O Eternal, O Most Just of Judges, judge between us and him with truth!"
   Ibn Ziyad responded:
   "The Most Just of Judges has indeed judged between you. Who will deal with the transgressor?"
   A man from Syria volunteered, killed Harith in the same spot where he had killed the children, and brought his head to be displayed, where people stoned and cursed it, calling him "the killer of the progeny of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family).

2. Deprivation of Guidance and Success, and Deserving of Curse:
       The Quran states that oppressors will not succeed in this world or the     next:
       "How could Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief     and after witnessing that the Messenger is true?" (Quran     3:86)

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The Consequences of Oppression in the Hereafter

The effects of oppression in the hereafter are severe, including:

1. Regret and Remorse:
       "And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands, saying, 'Oh, I     wish I had taken a way with the Messenger!'" (Quran 25:27)
2. Painful Punishment:
       "Then woe to those who have wronged from the punishment of a     painful Day." (Quran 43:65)
3. Falling from the Path (Sirat):
       Imam Sadiq (pbuh) explained the verse "Indeed, your Lord is     in observation" (Quran 89:14) as referring to a bridge over     the Sirat that no oppressor can cross.
4. Darkness:
       The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said:
       "Beware of oppression, for oppression before Allah is darkness on     the Day of Resurrection."
       This darkness may manifest as blindness or humiliation and torment.
5. The Oppressor's Punishment is Worse Than the Oppression:
       Imam Ali (pbuh) said:
       "The day the oppressed confronts the oppressor will be harsher for     the oppressor than the day the oppressor wronged the oppressed."
       Oppression may fade with time or the death of the oppressed, but the     oppressor's punishment in the hereafter is eternal.
6. Allah as the Oppressor's Adversary:
       Imam Ali (pbuh) said:
       "Whoever oppresses the servants of Allah, Allah will be his     adversary instead of His servants."

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The Fate of the Oppressors of Ahlal-Bayt (pbut)

Narrations highlight the consequences faced by the killers of Imam Hussain (pbuh) and his companions.

Imam Hussain (pbuh) foretold that Ibn Sa'd would never rule Rayy and would be slaughtered on his bed—a prophecy fulfilled by Al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi, who also executed the killers of Imam Hussain, including Ibn Ziyad, Harmala, and Shabath ibn Rib'i.

Lady Zainab (peace be upon her) warned Yazid in his court that his rule and the rule of the Umayyads would soon vanish, while the legacy of the Prophet's family(peace be upon him and his family) would endure:
"Strive as you will, but by Allah, you will never erase our memory, norwill you ever diminish our revelation. Your days are numbered, and your gathering will scatter."
Within three years, Yazid perished, and Umayyad rule passed to the Marwanids, while the remembrance of the Prophet's family continued to illuminate hearts and minds.

Oppressing the prophets and their successors (pbut) is among the gravest sins, and its punishment in the hereafter is multiplied:
"His punishment will be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated." (Quran 25:69)